Broiler pan feeder

ABSTRACT

An adjustable feeder pan system for feeding poultry and a related method is provided The feeder pan system includes a cone portion, an excluder portion that includes a number of anti-rake and radially disposed fins, a skirt, a feed pan, a cap, and optionally a feed shut-off component The cone includes a pair of stops that may selectively engage with one of a number of pairs of corresponding slots of varying depths on the excluder portion so as to provide multiple feed levels as desired and depending upon the size and age of the poultry being fed

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This continuation application claims the benefit of U.S. NonprovisionalPat. Application 15/921,475 filed on Mar. 14, 2018, which claimspriority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Pat. ApplicationSerial Number 62/471,357 filed on Mar. 14, 2017

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention generally relates to the field of feeder systems forfeeding livestock. More particularly, the invention relates to a feederpan device to be used in conjunction with poultry feeder systems

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Automated feeding systems for poultry and like domestic animals haveproven to be highly successful in modern animal husbandry operationsThese systems can supply feed mixtures to a large poultry flock withminimum effort by the poultry grower Both the amounts of feed deliveredand the proportions of feed ingredients can be regulated, thuspermitting the flock to be inexpensively raised from chicks to mature,commercially valuable birds in a relatively short time

Among the important parts of such automated feeding systems are thefeeder assemblies. These assemblies receive feed flow from a feedconveyor, and are located on or near the poultry house floor to affordthe birds ready access to the feed

Early poultry growers traditionally introduced very young birds intopoultry houses and provided supplemental feed to the young birds orchicks on paper, cardboard or the like, which was laid on the poultryhouse floor. The chicks were not initially introduced to feeding fromfeeder assemblies for two main reasons One reason was that chicks wereunable to gain access to the feed in the feeder assemblies because theheight of the feeder assemblies from where the birds would gain accessto the feed was too high for the chicks Another reason was that the feedwhich was introduced into the feeder assembly was always provided on thebottom of a pan of the feeder assembly such that even if the young birdscould reach over the height of the side of the feeder assembly, thebirds could not then reach down to eat the feed at the bottom of thefeeder assembly Thus, the poultry grower provided supplemental feed tothe chicks either by providing the supplemental feed to the chicksoutside of the feeder assemblies or by hand filling the supplementalfeed into the feeder assemblies to provide a high feed level.

Problems, however, arose with such practice Among these problems,obviously, was that such a practice required more time and labor by thepoultry grower which could be better utilized elsewhere Also, the feedprovided on the floor of the poultry house came into contact with waste,dirt, etc, which the birds would also then eat, potentially causinghealth problems for the birds Further, the birds raked the feed withtheir feet such that the feed became spread out over the poultry housefloor, such that a fair amount of the feed placed on the floor by thepoultry grower was wasted

Thus, many prior art feeders were designed to help combat these problemsFor instance, the feeder assemblies disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos5,311,839, 5,462,017 and 5,718,187 attempted to solve the problem of theheight of the feeder assemblies being too high such that smaller birdscould not gain access to or see the feed presented in the feederassembly to eat it, thus requiring the poultry growers to either utilizethe supplemental feed, as discussed above or provide separate feederassemblies in which the smaller birds would be able to feed from Thesefeeder assemblies utilized a lost motion connection between the grilland the pan to provide both a shallow pan depth for younger, smallerbirds and a deep pan depth for older, larger birds The problem with thelost motion connection for the poultry grower is that in order toutilize the lost motion connection, the feeder assemblies had to beraised off of or lowered onto the poultry house floor For instance, thefeeder assemblies could not be lowered from the deep pan depth to theshallow pan depth without a bottom of the pan resting on the poultryhouse floor As the floors of poultry houses are often uneven, the feederassemblies could not all be consistently configured in the same mannerwhen the feeder assemblies were positioned on the floor of the poultryhouse

Other designs like the feeder assemblies disclosed in U.S. Pat Nos4,476,811 and 5,092,274 also attempted to solve the problem of the feedbeing presented to younger, smaller birds at too low of a level withinthe feeder assemblies The feeder assemblies provided both an upper or“brood” feed gate to provide high feed levels for younger, smaller birdsand a lower feed gate to provide lower feed levels for older, largerbirds The upper feed gate was provided as a window in the feed drop tubeof the feeder assembly, which, when open, would allow feed to flowtherethrough to create a high feed level in the feeder assembly for theyoung birds to easily see and eat. When the birds grew older and larger,the poultry grower could close the upper feed gate and allow the feed toflow through the bottom of the feed drop tube, i e, the lower feed gate,to provide a lower feed level.

These feeder assemblies, while highly successful in industry, do,however, have some disadvantages For example, in these inventions, theupper and lower feed gates are typically not both able to be open if thepoultry grower should so desire them to be Also, the feed gates aretypically only opened and closed by moving the feeder assemblies on andoff of the ground Finally, these feeder assemblies did not provide for asmooth transition from a high feed level to a low feed level, as apractical matter the poultry grower could only provide a high feed levelor a low feed level, but nothing in between

Feeder assemblies of the prior art have also caused other problems forthe poultry grower. For example, when birds grow larger, the birdstypically like to eat from the feeder assemblies by resting a front sideof their bodies on or against the feeder assembly in some manner Asfeeder assemblies of the prior art have not typically been designed withthe comfort and health of the birds in mind, the birds tend to eat fromthe feeder assemblies while being uncomfortable In many prior art feederassemblies, when birds rest on or against the feeder assemblies,detrimental physical effects, such as bruising, blistering, irritation,etc , to the front sides of the bird's bodies, such as their breasts,may occur Such detrimental physical effects can cause two major problemsOne is that since the front sides of the birds’ bodies will becomedetrimentally physically affected, the birds will not be comfortableresting on or against the feeder assemblies, such that the birds may noteat as much food from the feeder assemblies as it is too uncomfortablefor them to do so Thus, the birds either do not become as large and arenot as commercially valuable as they could have been, or the rate atwhich the birds grow is reduced, thus taking longer for them to reachtheir optimal size and weight Secondly, once the birds are defeatheredand graded, if the front sides of bird’s bodies are detrimentallyphysically affected, the birds will receive a lower grade, thus makingthem less commercially valuable

Therefore, an improved feeder assembly is needed which will overcome theproblems and disadvantages of prior art feeder assemblies. The presentinvention provides such a feeder assembly Features and advantages of thepresent invention will become apparent upon a reading of the attachedspecification, in combination with a study of the drawings.

While preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown anddescribed, it is envisioned that those skilled in the art may devisevarious modifications of the present invention without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises

An adjustable feed level pan feeder assembly comprising

-   a) a feed pan having a substantially centrally disposed upstanding    conical member,-   b) an excluder releasably attached to said feed pan, said excluder    comprising a plurality of radially disposed fins, said excluder    further comprising a scalloped peripheral edge, said excluder also    comprising a flood control member having a diameter less than the    diameter of said scalloped peripheral edge, said fins being disposed    substantially equidistantly and each of said fins extending from a    top surface of said flood control member and to said scalloped    peripheral edge of said excluder thereby defining a plurality of    feed chambers each bounded by at least two fins and an arcuate wall    segment of said scalloped peripheral edge, at least a portion of    said fins having a curved upper edge, said excluder further    comprising a cone receiving portion for receiving a cone member,    said cone receiving portion having a downwardly disposed annular lip    having a plurality of pairs of oppositely disposed notches, each of    said pairs of notches having different depths;-   c) said cone member comprising an upper cone segment and a lower    cone segment, said upper and lower cone segments being connected by    a plurality of struts, said cone member further comprising a    plurality of circumferentially disposed flood windows disposed    between said upper and lower cone segments; said cone member further    comprising a pair of oppositely disposed stop tabs, said flood    windows being selectively substantially opened or selectively    substantially closed by the sliding of the feed cone towards or away    from the feed pan as desired; said stop tabs being configured for    the selective engagement with one of said pairs of notches on said    excluder upon rotational engagement of said cone with said excluder    such that varying feed level heights are achieved as desired    depending on the depth of the pair of notches being engaged with the    pair of stop tabs; and-   d) a skirt, said skirt extending peripherally from said lower cone    segment and comprising downwardly extending sloped walls that extend    radially and downwardly from said lower cone segment

ELEMENT LIST

10 feeder assembly, 100 cone; 102 cone upper segment; 104 cone lowersegment; 106 struts, 108 strut upper portion, 110 strut middle portion,112 strut lower portion, 114 rail, 116 flood window, 118 stop tab, 120feed tube receiving recess, 122 upstanding cap receiving projection, 124outer section of projection; 126 top section of projection, 128 innersection of projection, 130 skirt supporting extensions; 200 feed pan;202 upstanding conical member 204 conical member top surface, 206annular wall of feed pan, 208 cone receiving portion, 210circumferential sloped area of pan, 212 feed receiving area of pan, 214nmmed wall of pan, 216 outwardly extending pan tabs, 218 apertures forreceiving excluder tabs, 220 hole for receiving lock; 222 first area ofexcluder tab aperture, 224 second area of excluder tab aperture, 226inner circumferential rim for seating excluder, 300 skirt, 302 conereceiving opening, 304 downwardly extending sloped walls of skirt, 305annular peripheral wall, 306 top surface, 308 lower surface, 400excluder; 402 fins, 404 scalloped peripheral edge; 406 flood controlmember, 408 feed chambers, 410 curved upper edge of fin, 412 conereceiving portion, 414 downwardly extending annular lip; 416 notches,418 grooves of cone receiving portion, 420 annular wall of conereceiving portion, 422 cone receiving opening, 424 locking tabs, 426first section of locking tab, 428 second section of locking tab , 430third section of locking tab, 432 fin extension, 434 fin extensionsupport, 436 locking projection; 438 locking projection aperture; 440arcuate wall segment of scalloped peripheral edge, 442 feed levelindicia, 444 locking key; 500 feed shut-off component, 502 curved topsurface; 504 feed flow aperture, 506 feed tube, 507 feed dispensingopening, 508 feed tube tab, 510 slot for receiving feed tube tab, 512downwardly extending end portions, 514 transverse ribs, 516 openposition, 518 half open position, 520 closed position, 600 cap; 602 topsurface, 604 bottom surface; 606 longitudinal groove, 608 projections,610 longitudinal stop, 612 first end of stop, 614 second end of stop;616 upstanding portion, 700 alternate cap

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a top perspective view of the pan feeder assembly of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 shows a side elevational view of the pan feeder assembly of thepresent invention,

FIG. 3 shows a side-by-side comparison view of chicks feeding from oneprior art feeder pan assembly and the pan feeder assembly of the presentinvention,

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of chicks feeding from the pan feederassembly of the present invention,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the cone component of the pan feederassembly of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the cone component of the panfeeder assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of the cone component of the panfeeder assembly of the present invention,

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the skirt component ofthe pan feeder assembly of the present invention,

FIG. 9 is a top perspective view of the excluder component of the panfeeder assembly of the present invention,

FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway view of a segment of the excludercomponent of the pan feeder assembly of the present invention showingthe area where the cone component is inserted,

FIG. 11 is a partially cutaway view of a segment of the excludercomponent of the pan feeder assembly of the present invention showing indetail one of the locking tabs,

FIG. 12 is a partially cutaway bottom view of a segment of the excludercomponent of the pan feeder assembly of the present invention showingone of the locking tabs and underside of one of the fins,

FIG. 13 is a partially cutaway top view of a segment of the excludercomponent of the pan feeder assembly of the present invention showingthe locking projection and aperture for receiving the locking key,

FIG. 14 is a bottom perspective view of the excluder component of thepan feeder assembly of the present invention showing the notches thatallow for adjustability of feed height,

FIG. 15 is a top perspective view of the feed pan component of the panfeeder assembly of the present invention,

FIG. 16 is a bottom perspective view of the feed pan component of thepan feeder assembly of the present invention,

FIG. 17 shows one embodiment of the locking key component of the panfeeder assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a series of views showing the insertion and subsequentsliding into position of one of the locking tabs of the excluder into acorresponding apertures on the feed pan component of the pan feederassembly of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a series of views showing the insertion of the locking keyinto and through the locking projection aperture of the excludercomponent and the hole in the feed pan for receiving the key and thesubsequent turning of the key into a locked position;

FIG. 20 is a partially cutaway bottom view of a segment of the excludercomponent of the pan feeder assembly of the present invention showing indetail the opposed pairs of notches that enable feed heightadjustability,

FIG. 21 is side perspective view of the cone component of the pan feederassembly of the present invention,

FIG. 22 is a cross sectional side view of the pan feeder assembly of thepresent invention,

FIG. 23 is a pair of views showing 1) a top pair of cross sectionalviews showing the pan feeder assembly in a first position (top left) andthe stop tabs of the cone portion engaging slots in the excluder thatcorrespond with the first position (top right) and 2) a bottom pair ofcross sectional views showing the pan feeder assembly in a thirdposition (bottom left) and the stop tabs of the cone portion engagingslots in the excluder that correspond with the third position (bottomright),

FIG. 24 is a cross sectional view of the pan feeder assembly of thepresent invention showing the cone in a lowered position and at rest onthe feed pan component,

FIG. 25 is a cross sectional view of the pan feeder assembly of thepresent invention showing the cone raised upwardly from the feed pan andengaged in the slots of the excluder that correspond with the first feedposition;

FIG. 26 is a cross sectional view of the pan feeder assembly of thepresent invention showing the cone raised upwardly from the feed pan andengaged in the slots of the excluder that correspond with the secondfeed position,

FIG. 27 is a cross sectional view of the pan feeder assembly of thepresent invention showing the cone raised upwardly from the feed pan andengaged in the slots of the excluder that correspond with the third feedposition,

FIG. 28 is a top perspective view showing an alternate embodiment of theskirt component being installed about the cone portion of the pan feederassembly of the present invention,

FIG. 29 is a top perspective view showing steps to install and connectthe cone, skirt, excluder and feed pan portions of the pan feederassembly of the present invention,

FIG. 30 is a top perspective view showing the feed shut-off component ofthe pan feeder assembly of the present invention being attached to aportion of a feed tube;

FIG. 31 is a side perspective view showing the pan feeder assembly ofthe present invention with optional feed shut-off component and feedtube being received within the cone portion,

FIG. 32 is a top perspective view showing the cap component of the panfeeder assembly of the present invention being slidably locked intoposition on the cone portion;

FIG. 33 is a top perspective view of the feed shut-off component of thepan feeder assembly of the present invention,

FIG. 34 is a bottom perspective view of the feed shut-off component ofthe pan feeder assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 35 is a side perspective view showing the feed shut-off componentinstalled in the cone component of the pan feeder assembly of thepresent invention,

FIG. 36 is a side perspective view showing the feed shut-off componentand feed tube installed in the cone component of the pan feeder assemblyof the present invention,

FIG. 37 is a bottom perspective view of the cone an feed shut-offcomponents of the pan feeder assembly of the present invention showingthe feed shut-off component in an open position;

FIG. 38 is a bottom perspective view of the cone an feed shut-offcomponents of the pan feeder assembly of the present invention showingthe feed shut-off component in a closed position,

FIG. 39 is a bottom perspective view of the cone an feed shut-offcomponents of the pan feeder assembly of the present invention showingthe feed shut-off component in a half opened position,

FIG. 40 is a partial view of a segment of the pan feeder assembly of thepresent invention showing a first embodiment of the cap component,

FIG. 41 is a partial view of a segment of the pan feeder assembly of thepresent invention showing an alternative embodiment of the capcomponent, and

FIG. 42 is a top perspective view of a first embodiment of the capcomponent of the pan feeder assembly of the present invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to the figures and elements referenced herein,’ animproved pan feeder assembly is provided It should be appreciated thatthe embodiments described and shown herein are exemplary in nature onlyand that various additional embodiments are contemplated and within thescope of the present invention.

Although a single pan feeder of the present invention is shown anddescribed herein, it should be appreciated that the feeder system of thepresent invention is adapted for use with known prior art husbandry feeddistribution systems - particularly for feed distribution systems forpoultry where rearing houses that use feed distribution systems with aplurality of feed supply conduits or tubes for distributing feed asdesired to a number of feeders in predetermined locations throughout therearing house

As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , an improved broiler pan feeder assembly10 is provided As will be described in greater detail herein, the panfeeder 10 of the present invention is generally comprised of thefollowing components. a cone member 100, a feed pan 200, a skirt member300, a chick excluder or excluder member 400 and preferably a cap member600. The pan feeder 10 is in communication with a feed tube 506 (sectionshown) in order to selectively receive and distribute feed as desiredthroughout the feed pan 200 as will be described in greater detailherein The various components are preferably comprised of heavy duty anddurable polypropylene plastic materials, though other materials may beused as are known in the industry

As best shown in FIGS. 5-7 and 21 , one component of the pan feeder 10of the present invention is a cone member or cone 100. Although referredto as a “cone”, it should be appreciated that the cone 100 of thepresent invention is not truly of a geometric conical shape, but ratherhas the general tapered configuration of a cone and is preferably of thepreferred configuration and construction as shown and described herein

The cone member 100 is generally comprised of an upper cone segment 102and a lower cone segment 104 The upper cone segment 102 and lower conesegment 104 are connected together and separated by a number ofvertically disposed struts 106 As can be seen in the figures, betweenthe struts 106, the lower edge of the upper cone segment 102, and theupper edge of the lower cone segment 104 are a number ofcircumferentially disposed flood windows 116

The significance of which will be described in detail herein, the cone100 also comprises a pair of oppositely disposed stop tabs 118preferably disposed on the outer surface of the lower cone segment 104The struts 106 of the cone 100 are each preferably comprised of an upperportion 108 that extends downwardly and outwardly from the upper conesegment 102 The struts 106 also each preferably include a middle portion110 that extends in a sloped fashion downwardly and outwardly from theupper strut portion 108 Further, the struts 106 also each preferablyinclude a lower strut portion 112 that extends downwardly from thebottom edge of the middle strut portion 110 to the top edge of the lowercone segment 104

The upper cone segment 102 also preferably has one or more substantiallyvertically disposed rails disposed on its outer surface Further, and asbest shown in FIG. 6 , the upper cone segment 102 also preferablyincludes a feed tube receiving recess 120 of substantially semicircularcross-section designed to accommodate a similarly sized feeding tube 506(see FIGS. 30-32 ) Preferably, for the embodiment of the feeder system10 in which the skirt 300 (see FIG. 8 ) is not integral with the cone100 but is rather a separate piece, the lower cone segment 104 alsopreferably includes one or more peripherally disposed skirt supportingextensions 130 on its outer surface

In addition, the upper cone segment 102, as best seen in FIGS. 5-6 ,also preferably includes at least one and more preferably includes twoupstanding cap receiving projections 122 Preferably, the two upstandingcap receiving projections 122 are disposed on opposite sides of the feedtube receiving recess 120 of the upper cone segment 102

With reference to FIG. 6 , each cap receiving projection 122 preferablyincludes an outermost section 124 that extends upwardly from the top ofthe upper cone segment 102 adjacent one side of the feed tube receivingrecess 120 Each cap receiving projection 122 also preferably includes atop section 126 that extends inwardly from and substantiallyperpendicularly with the outer section 124 Also, each cap receivingprojection 122 preferably includes an innermost section 128 that extendsdownwardly from and substantially perpendicularly with the top section126

Having described the cone 100 in detail, another important component ofthe feeder assembly 10 of the present invention is the skirt component300 With reference to FIG. 8 , the skirt 300 preferably includes, anopening 302 for slidably receiving the cone 100 The skirt 300 preferablyalso includes downwardly extending sloped walls 304 on its top surface306 that extend radially and downwardly from the lower cone segment 104when the skirt 300 has been installed on the cone 100 by sliding thecone 100 upwardly through the cone receiving opening 302 on theunderside of the skirt 300 until the lower surface 308 of the skirt 300engages with and is supported by the skirt supporting extensions 130 Inan alternate embodiment, the skirt 300 may be formed integrally with thecone 100 and not be a separate component

As shown in FIG. 8 , in one embodiment of the skirt 300, the skirt 300may have an annular peripheral wall 305 that extends downwardly from theoutermost periphery of the downwardly extending sloped walls 304 of theskirt 300 In an alternate embodiment of the skirt 300, and as best shownin FIG. 28 , the skirt 300 may lack such an annular peripheral wall 305and instead the downwardly extending sloped walls 304 continue to theouter periphery of the skirt 300 itself

As best shown in FIGS. 9-14 , another important component of the feederpan assembly 10 of the present invention is the chick excluder componentor excluder 400 The excluder 400 includes a number of radially disposedfins 402 These anti-rake fins 402 discourage birds from stepping in thepan 200 and also discourage them from scratching the feed out of the pan200 thus minimizing contamination Preferably, the fins 402 also includea curved upper edge 410 The excluder also includes a flood controlmember 406 that is preferably roughly partially conical in configuration

The excluder 400 also includes a scalloped peripheral edge 404 Thelargest diameter of the flood control member 406 is preferably less thanthat of the scalloped peripheral edge 404 Preferably the fins 402 aredisposed substantially equidistantly from each other The fins 402 extendfrom the top surface of the flood control member 406 radially andoutwardly to and connect with the innermost side of the scallopedperipheral edge 404 of the excluder 400

A plurality of feed chambers 408 are thus defined by and are eachbounded by two of the fins 402 and an arcuate wall segment 440 of saidscalloped peripheral edge 404 Each arcuate wall segment 440 connects twoadjacent fins 402. Each arcuate wall segment 440 has an arcuate top edgehaving a height that extends 1) from a relatively high point where itconnects with one fin 402, 2) then curves arcuately and downwardly toits midpoint having a relatively low height, and then 3) upwardly andarcuately to the same relative high point where it connects with asecond adjacent fin 402

Depending on the number of feed chambers 408 desired, the excluder 400could include any number of fins 402 Preferably, the excluder 400includes between about 8 and about 20 fins. More preferably the excluder400 includes 14 fins resulting in 14 feed chambers 408 as shown in thefigures

The excluder 400 also includes a cone receiving portion 412 as bestshown in FIGS. 9 and 10 As best shown in FIGS. 9, 14 and 20 , theexcluder 400 includes a downwardly disposed annular lip 414 that extendsfrom the inner surface of the flood control member 406 The downwardlydisposed annular lip 414 further includes a number of pairs ofoppositely disposed notches 416 Preferably, each pair of oppositelydisposed notches 416 are of the same depth, but have a different depththan the other pairs of oppositely disposed notches 416 More preferably,there are three pairs of oppositely disposed notches 416. As will beshown in greater detail herein, the stop tabs 118 of the cone 100 may beselectively engaged with one of the pairs of oppositely disposed notches416 on the excluder 400 upon rotational engagement of the cone 100 withthe excluder 400 such that varying feed level heights are achieved asdesired depending on the depth of the notches 416 being engaged with thepair of stop tabs 118 Feed level numbering or indicia 442 may beprovided on the top surface of the flood control member 406 to assist auser with selecting the appropriate feed level as desired

As best shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 , the cone receiving portion 412preferably extends also generally upwardly from the flood control member406 of the excluder 400 Preferably, the cone receiving portion 412 ofthe excluder 400 also has an upwardly extending annular wall 420 thathas one or more vertical grooves 418 that are each adapted to slidablyreceive one of the vertically disposed rails 114 of the upper conecomponent 102 of the cone 100. The annular wall 420 and the downwardlyextending annular lip 414 of the excluder 400 also define a conereceiving opening 422 such that the cone 100 with the skirt 300installed thereon may be may be slid upwardly from the underside of theexcluder 400 through the cone receiving opening 422. When installing thecone 100 and skirt 300 onto the excluder 400, the cone 100 is preferablyselectively rotated such that the vertically disposed rails 114 of thecone 100 align with and slide upwardly into the vertical grooves 418 ofthe excluder (see also FIG. 29 )

According to an important aspect of the present invention, and as bestshown in FIGS. 9, 11, 12 and 14 , the scalloped peripheral edge 404 ofthe excluder 400 preferably includes a number of locking tabs 424 thatextend outwardly therefrom As will be shown and described herein ingreater detail, the locking tabs 424 facilitate the connection of theexcluder 400 to the feed pan 200 (see FIG. 15 ) Although any number oflocking tabs 424 may be used, preferably there are about half as manylocking tabs 424 as there are feed chambers 408 as shown in the figures

Each locking tab 424 preferably includes a first section 426 thatextends outwardly and substantially perpendicularly from the scallopedperipheral edge 404 of the excluder 400 Preferably, each locking tab 424also includes a second section 428 that extends downwardly andsubstantially perpendicularly from the first section 426 of the lockingtab 424 Further, each locking tab 424 also preferably includes a thirdsection 430 that extends outwardly and substantially perpendicularlyfrom the second section 428 of the locking tab 424

As best seen in FIG. 9 , each locking tab 424 of the excluder 400 ispreferably substantially aligned with and outboard of a correspondingfin 402 and is on the outer and opposite side of the fin 402 on theouter surface of an arcuate wall segment 440 from where thecorresponding fin 402 connects with the inner surface of that arcuatewall segment 440

Each locking tab 424 of the excluder 400 preferably also comprises a finextension 432 that corresponds with and is longitudinally aligned with acorresponding fin 402 disposed on the opposite side of the arcuate wallsegment 440 from the corresponding locking tab 424 Preferably, as shownin the figures, the fin extensions 432 substantially continue with thecurvature of their corresponding fins 402 More preferably, and to addgreater structural stability to the locking tabs 424, each locking tab424 may also include a fin extension support segment 434

As best shown in FIGS. 9, 13 and 14 , the scalloped peripheral edge 404of the excluder 400 further preferably includes at least one (and morepreferably just one) outwardly extending locking projection 436 having alocking projection aperture 438 disposed therethrough. The lockingprojection aperture 438, as will be shown in greater detail herein, isdesigned to receive a locking key 444 as exemplarily shown in FIG. 17 .

As shown most clearly in FIGS. 15 and 16 , another component of the panfeeder assembly 10 of the present invention is the feed pan 200 itselfThe feed pan 200 includes a centrally disposed upstanding conical member202 on its top surface. The conical member 202 has a central apex withsloped walls on its top surface 204 that radially extend downwardly fromthe apex Preferably, the feed pan 200 further preferably includes anannular wall 206 disposed under and that has a diameter substantiallythe same as the bottom of the upstanding conical member 202

The feed pan 200 also preferably includes an annular cone receivingportion or surface 208 that extends outwardly from and beingsubstantially perpendicularly with the annular wall 206 This conereceiving surface 208 can selectively support and is configured tosupport the bottom peripheral edge of the lower cone segment 104 of thecone member 100 Preferably, the feed pan 200 also includes acircumferential sloped area 210 and a feed receiving area 212.Specifically, the circumferential sloped area 210 extends radially anddownwardly from the cone receiving surface 208 to the feed receivingarea 212 of the feed pan 200

Preferably, the feed pan 200 also includes a rimmed wall 214 thatextends circumferentially and upwardly from the feed receiving area 212of the pan 200 More preferably, the rimmed wall 214 also includes anumber of outwardly extending tabs 216 extending outwardly andperpendicularly therefrom. As best shown in FIGS. 15, 16 and 18 , atleast some of the outwardly extending feed pan tabs 216 include anaperture 218 for receiving a corresponding locking tab 424 of theexcluder 400.

As best shown in FIG. 18 , and to better facilitate the selective andslidable engagement of the locking tabs 424 of the excluder 400 with theapertures 218 of the outwardly extending feed pan tabs 216, theapertures 218 preferably include a first substantially rectangularregion 222 adjacent with a second substantially rectangular region 224having a width less than the width of the first rectangular region 222As can be seen in FIGS. 18 and 29 , to attach the excluder 400 to thefeed pan 200, the locking tabs 424 of the excluder 400 are firstinserted downwardly into the first rectangular region 222 of theapertures 218 Next the excluder 400 is rotated such that the lockingtabs 424 are rotated into locked position and into the secondrectangular region 224 such that the excluder 400 is selectivelyattached to the feed pan 200. Further, the rimmed wall 214 of the feedpan 200 also preferably includes an inner circumferential rim 226 uponwhich the excluder 400 rests when it is locked into position onto thefeed pan 200

As best shown in FIGS. 16 and 19 , at least one of the outwardlyextending feed pan tabs 216 includes a hole 220 for receiving a lockingkey 444 When the hole 220 on the feed pan 200 is aligned with and underthe corresponding locking projection aperture 438 of the excluder 400,the locking key 444 may be inserted through both the hole 220 andaperture 438 and subsequently turned so as to lock the excluder 400 andfeed pan 200 together to complement the locking tab 424 arrangementdescribed above

As shown best in FIGS. 30 and 33-39 , the pan feeder system 10 of thepresent invention also preferably comprises a slidable feed shut-offcomponent 500 The feed shut-off component 500 preferably comprises acurved top surface 502 adapted to seat a portion of a feed tube 506having a feed dispensing opening 507 on the underside thereof The feedshut-off component 500 also preferably includes a curved bottom surfaceadapted to be seated in the feed tube receiving recess 120 of the cone100 such that when installed the slidable feed shut-off component isslidably disposed between the cone 100 and the feed tube 506

In order to limit the range of slidability, the feed shut-off component500 preferably also includes a slot 510 for receiving a tab 508 on thefeed tube 506 To allow for the selective admission of feed into the feedpan assembly 10, the feed shut-off component 500 further includes a feedflow aperture 504 that may be slid into and out of alignment andengagement with the feed dispensing opening 507 (see FIG. 30 ) on theunderside of the feed tube 506 The feed shut-off component 500 alsopreferably includes one or more transverse ribs 514 disposed on thelower surface thereof Further, the feed shut-off component preferablyincludes a pair of downwardly extending end portions 512 that extenddownwardly from opposite distal ends of the feed shut-off component 500.These end portions 512 may be engaged by a user to slide the feedshut-off component 500 into an appropriate position as desired

Specifically, and as shown in FIG. 37 , when the feed shut-off component500 is slid between the feed tube 506 and feed tube receiving recess 120of the cone 100 so that the feed dispensing opening 507 of the feed tube506 is aligned above the feed flow aperture 504 of the feed shut-offcomponent 500, the feed shut-off component is in an “open” position 516that allows for the free flow of feed from the tube 508 and into the panfeeder 10

Further, and as shown in FIG. 38 , when the feed shut-off component 500is slid between the feed tube 506 and feed tube receiving recess 120 ofthe cone 100 so that the feed dispensing opening 507 of the feed tube506 is not adjacent with any part of the feed flow aperture 504 of thefeed shut-off component 500, the feed shut-off component 500 is in a“closed” position 520 that allows for no flow of feed from the tube 508and into the pan feeder 10

Finally, and as shown in FIG. 39 , when the feed shut-off component 500is slid between the feed tube 506 and feed tube receiving recess 120 ofthe cone 100 so that the feed dispensing opening 507 of the feed tube506 is partially aligned above the feed flow aperture 504 of the feedshut-off component 500, the feed shut-off component 500 is in a“partially open” position 518 that allows for a restricted flow of feedfrom the tube 508 and into the pan feeder 10 As shown in FIGS. 37-39 ,the transverse ribs may be used to visually or in a tactile manner toassist with the indexing of the feed shut-off component 500 among theopen 516, closed 520, and partially opened 518 positions

As best shown in FIGS. 32 and 40-42 , the feed pan assembly 10 of thepresent invention also includes a cap component 600 adapted to beselectively attached to the upper segment 102 of the cone 100 so as tohold the feed tube 506 therebetween As best shown in FIG. 42 , the cap600 has a top surface 602 and a bottom surface 604 The bottom surface604 is preferably substantially curved such that it is adapted to beseated atop a portion of the feed tube 506 The bottom surface 604 mayalso have a longitudinally disposed groove 606 therein to provide accessand space for other components as needed

The cap 600 also preferably includes a pair of oppositely opposedprojections 608 that extend outwardly from and substantiallyperpendicularly with opposite lower edges of the cap 600. In order tofacilitate the connection of the cap 600 to the cone 100, eachoppositely opposed projection 608 further includes a longitudinal stop610 thereon as best shown in FIG. 32 To facilitate the slidableengagement of the cap 600 onto the cone 100, each longitudinal stop 610includes an open first end 612 and a closed second end 614 such thateach longitudinal stop 610 may be selectively and slidably received intoand within a corresponding upstanding cap receiving projection 122 ofthe cone 100 so as to selectively link the cap 600 with the cone 100

The cap 600 may also include an upstanding portion 616 thatadvantageously discourages birds from roosting thereon. An alternateembodiment of the cap 700, a colony cap for colony feeders, is shown inFIG. 41 that also includes the linking features of the cap 600 adaptedfor floor feeders as described above

Although described above in connection with each of the various parts ofthe feed pan assembly 10, reference is again made to FIGS. 28-32 thatshow the preferred steps of assembling the various components of thefeed pan assembly 10 together First, FIG. 28 shows the insertion of theskirt 300 over the cone 100. Next, FIG. 29 depicts how the excluder 400is aligned and slid downwardly onto the cone 100 as well as how thelocking tabs 424 are inserted and positioned into the apertures 218 ofthe feed pan 200 (see also FIG. 18 ) The key 444 is also shown insertedthrough the locking projection aperture 438 of the excluder 400 and thehole 220 on the feed pan (see also FIG. 19 )

FIGS. 30 and 31 again show how the feed shut-off component 500 isinstalled between the feed tube 506 and the cone 100 Finally, FIG. 32summarizes again how the cap component 600 is slidably attached to thecone 100 once the feed tube 506 and feed shut-off component 500 are inposition. FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional cutaway view that shows ingreater detail the relative position of the various components of thefeed pan assembly 10 when the cone 100 is resting and at its lowestdownward position atop the feed pan 200

With reference to FIGS. 23-27 , additional detail will be discussedregarding the adjustable feed levels of the feed pan assembly 10 of thepresent invention Once again, this adjustability is achieved through theselective engagement of the pair of stop tabs 118 with a predeterminedpair of notches 416 Although it is possible to have greater or fewerpairs of notches 416, for exemplary purposes, the feed pan assembly 10is shown and described as having 3 pairs of oppositely opposed notches416 that result in a feed pan assembly 10 that has three feed heights tochoose from depending on the age and population of the poultry being fedat a given time

First, and as shown in FIG. 24 , when the cone 100 is resting on the pan200 when the feeder system 10 is resting on the floor As can be seen inthe highlighted region, some feed is distributed even when in thisresting position As will be seen in subsequent figures and feed levelpositions, feed level is set by how far above the flood window shut-offthe cone 100 can travel when it is slid upwardly and away from the pan200 and as dictated by which pair of notches 416 are engaged by the stoptabs 118 As seen in FIGS. 23-27 , when the cone 100 is slid upwardlyfrom the pan 200 feed is able to exit the bottom of the cone and isdistributed throughout the pan in part by deflection from the variousfeatures of the pan 200

For example, in the top two images of FIG. 22 , and in FIG. 25 , a firstfeeding position is shown when the notches 416 of the lowest depth areselected and seated in the stop tabs 118 As can be seen in FIG. 25 , andas an example only, the first feed position may correspond to a feeddepth in the pan 200 of about 0 75 inches Similarly, with reference toFIG. 26 , an intermediate feed level or feed level 2 may be achievedwhen the stops 118 engage the notches 416 having an intermediate depth,in this example a depth of 1 0 inch Finally, and as is shown in thelower 2 images of FIG. 23 and in FIG. 27 a relatively high level offeed, in this example a depth of 1 25 inches, may be achieved byselecting the notches 416 with the greatest depth for engagement withthe stops 118

As can best be seen in the highlighted regions in FIGS. 24-27 , thevarious features and geometries of the components of the feed pan system10 allow for more controlled and more evenly distributed feed as desiredFor example, when the cone 100 is slid upwardly, the relatively highheight of the flood windows 116 above the skirt 300, the conical membertop surface 204 of the feed pan 200, and the sloped area 210 of the pan200 allow the feed to contact these features with greater velocity and,as a result, spread out farther to the feed receiving areas 212 of thepan 200 upon such contact

Now that the composition and features of the feed pan assembly 10 havebeen described, it should be appreciated that there are numerousadvantageous features and benefits of the present invention For example,and as shown with the left prior art feeder in FIG. 3 , it is commonwith prior art feeding systems for chicks or young poultry to enter intothe feed pan and soil the feed or otherwise prevent access to the feedby other chicks. In contrast, many features of the present inventionadvantageously prevent chicks from standing on or in the pan feedersystem 10 as shown on the right in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 where all chicksare feeding from outside the feeder system 10 of the present inventionAs an example of the preventative features of the present invention, theflood control member 406 of the excluder 400 minimized the size andopenness of the feed chambers 408 thus discouraging chicks from entering

In addition, the curved upper edges 410 of the fins 402 also discouragebirds from standing thereon Additionally, the fin extensions 432discourage the birds from standing on or near the locking tabs 424 onthe peripheral edge of the excluder 400. The low height of the middleportion of the arcuate wall segments 440 of the scalloped peripheraledge 404 of the excluder 400 allow for chicks to immediately beginfeeding from the feed pan system 10 without requiring supplementalfeeders or giving the chicks reason to enter the pan 200 Further, whenthe highest feed level is selected, the pan 200 floods with feed of asufficiently increased depth for easy access by the youngest of poultry.

The feed pan assembly 10 can be used in connection with devices, such asswing-down devices that are well-known in the art, that allow theassembly 10 to be readily cleaned and dried

The various components are easily assembled and disassembled and haverelatively few cracks and crevices that facilitate an easier cleaningprocess as there are no corners or pockets to trap feed and no grills towork around

While the invention has been represented in detail and described withreference to the drawings and description, this should be regarded asexemplary only and the invention is not limited to the embodimentsdescribed and different variants are possible

1. An adjustable feed level pan feeder assembly comprising: a) a feedpan having a substantially centrally disposed upstanding conical member,b) an excluder releasably attached to said feed pan, said excludercomprising a plurality of radially disposed fins, said excluder furthercomprising a scalloped peripheral edge; said excluder also comprising aflood control member having a diameter less than the diameter of saidscalloped peripheral edge, said fins being disposed substantiallyequidistantly and each of said fins extending from a top surface of saidflood control member and to said scalloped peripheral edge of saidexcluder thereby defining a plurality of feed chambers each bounded byat least two fins and an arcuate wall segment of said scallopedperipheral edge, at least a portion of said fins having a curved upperedge, said excluder further comprising a cone receiving portion forreceiving a cone member, said cone receiving portion having a downwardlydisposed annular lip having a plurality of pairs of oppositely disposednotches, each of said pairs of notches having different depths, c) saidcone member comprising an upper cone segment and a lower cone segment,said upper and lower cone segments being connected by a plurality ofstruts, said cone member further comprising a plurality ofcircumferentially disposed flood windows disposed between said upper andlower cone segments, said cone member further comprising a pair ofoppositely disposed stop tabs, said flood windows being selectivelysubstantially opened or selectively substantially closed by the slidingof the cone member towards or away from the feed pan as desired, saidstop tabs being configured for the selective engagement with one of saidpairs of notches on said excluder upon rotational engagement of saidcone with said excluder such that varying feed level heights areachieved as desired depending on the depth of the pair of notches beingengaged with the pair of stop tabs, and d) a skirt, said skirt extendingperipherally from said lower cone segment and comprising downwardlyextending sloped walls that extend radially and downwardly from saidlower cone segment.